Automatic filling and weighing mechanism

ABSTRACT

Automatic filling and weighing mechanism in which receptacles are moved in a prescribed path and automatically releasably held by their rims by a plurality of downwardly opening grippers, actuated by a rotation of levers to release the bags.

United States Ratent Henry [.4 1 Feb. 26, 1974 AUTOMATIC FlLLlNG AND WEIGHING MECHANISM Inventor: Nelson R. Henry, 583 Willivee Dr.,

Decatur, Ga. 30030 Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 Appl. 110.; 117,762

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 675,125, Oct. 13, 1967.

US. Cl. 198/131, 198/179 lnt. C1. 865g 15/00 lField of Search 198/210, 179, 180, 131;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Briggs .l 53/384 2,973,612 3/1961 McGowan 53/190 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Newton, Hopkins and Ormsby [57] ABSTRACT Automatic filling and weighing mechanism in which receptacles are moved in a prescribed path and automatically releasably held by their rims by a plurality of downwardly opening grippers, actuated by a rotation of levers to release the bags.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZSISM I 3,794,157

sum 2 [1P2 I NVENTOR. A a 90/v ,Q M A pr AUTOMATIC FILLING AND WEIGHING MECHANISM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of United States Patent Application Ser. No. 675,125, filed Oct. 13, 1967.

This invention relates to an automatic filling and weighing mechanism and is more particularly concerned with a machine which automatically holds and releases receptacles moved along a prescribed path. The parent application, Ser. No. 675,125 is made a part hereof by reference thereto.

Briefly described, the present invention includes, in a filling and weighing mechanism, a carrier which supports a flexible bag, the carrier being moved along a prescribed path and being provided with a receptacle retaining member for receiving the upper edge portions of the bag. The receptacle retaining member includes a pair of parallel disposed cantalever supported, angle iron brackets which carry an adjustable chute adapted to direct material into the bag. Beneath the angle irons are a pair of rotatable shafts each of which carry an actuator plate. When the shafts are rotated toward each other, the actuator plates push downwardly on push rods which move the spring closed gripper fingers of the gripper away from their associated downwardly projecting rods so as to release the bag suspended thereby. The shafts are linked together by levers, the inner ends of which are connected together and are supported by a spring. A cam follower, connected to the levers, is for engaging a cam disposed at a prescribed position in the path of travel of the member, thereby actuating the gripper finger to release the bag. Several grippers are disposed in longitudinal alignment in two parallel rows and are transversely opposite to each other, so that the various size bags may be suspended by at least four spaced grippers. The spring loading of the grippers enables the bags to be installed by upward movement and yet resists downward movement of the bag, once it has been installed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic filling and weighing mechanism in which bags are readily and easily istalled for filling and which will automatically discharge the bags afterthey after they been filled and weighed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic filling and weighing mechanism which will release the weighed and filled bags without the necessity of stopping the operation of the mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic filling and weighing mechanism which is capable of receiving and filling a variety of receptacles, without material alteration to the structure of the mechanism.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accomjecting flange 78b.

Carried beneath each of the outwardly projecting.

flanges 78b are a pair of aligned bearings 80. Each pair of bearings 80 journals for rotation a rocker shaft 81. Between the bearings 80, each rocker shaft 81 is respectively provided with an inwardly extending actuator plate 79. Upon rotation of rocker shafts 81, the actuator plates 79 cause release of the supported bag, as will be explained more fully hereinafter. 1

The inner ends of rocker shafts 81 are provided with opposed inwardly projecting levers 82, the ends of which overlap so as to be pivotally and telescopically connected together by a pin 83, projecting from one lever 82 into an elongated slot 84, in the other lever 82. A coiled. spring 85, connected between upper horizontal bar 72 and levers 82, yieldably urges the levers 82 to their uppermost position.

Projecting downwardly from the horizontal flanges I 78b, between the vertical flanges 78a and their associated shafts 80, are opposed pairs of gripper supporting brackets 86a, 86b and 860. The forward or outer gripper supporting brackets 86a pivotally support, by means of pivot pin 87a, an L-shaped gripper 88a, the pivot pin 87a projecting through a horiozontally disposed portion of the gripper 88a. In like manner, brackets 86b and 86c are provided with L-shaped grippers 88b and 88c, pivotally supported by pins 87b and 870.

Downwardly projecting bag arresting rods 89a, 89b, and 890, carried by vertical flanges 78a, project parallel to and respectively along sides of the upstanding arms of the L-shaped grippers 88a, 88b and 880, while individual springs 90 respectively yieldably urge the friction surfaces of the upstanding arms of the grippers 88a, 88b, and 88c into engagement with rods 89a, 89b and 890. It will be understood that since the pins 87a, 87b and 870 are off center in the L-shaped grippers 882, 88b, and 880, the upper edge portions of a bag can be readily inserted upwardly between a gripper and its associated rod while any downward force on the bag will seatmore firmly the upstanding arm of the gripper toward its associtated rod.

For releasing a bag B from the grippers 88a, 88b, and 880, the bag-suspending mechanism includes a plurality of adjustable pusher pins, such as pin 91, slidably carried in a collar, such as collar 92. The collars, such as collar 92, are secured to the vertical flanges 87a so as to dispose a pusher pin 91 over the outer end of each of the horizontal arms of the L-shaped grippers 88a, 88b, and 88c. The upper ends of all pins 91 are immediately below the actuator plates 79 so that upon pivotal movement of rocker shafts 81, all pins 91 will be depressed, thereby simultaneously pivoting all grippers 88a, 88b, and 88c away from their associated rods 89a, 89b, and 890, whereby bag B is released.

Such pivotal movement of rocker shafts 81 is accomplished upon downward movement of pin 83 against tension of spring 85. For this purpose, a bag release roller 95 is carried by the inner end of pin 83 and projects inwardly of frame 69 to engage a cam 96 carried on the peripheral edge of a cam supporting plate 97 when the particular bag suspending mechanism is moved thereast.

p The purpose of the three opposed pairs of grippers 88a, 88b and 88c is to accommodate various size bags. Thus, when 50 pound bags are to be used, an upper edge portion of a 50 pound bag is inserted between the two front grippers 88a and their associated rods 89a and another part of the upper edge portion of the 50 pound bag in inserted between the two next grippers 88b and their associated rods 89b. On the other hand, when a 100 pound bag, i.e., a bag with a larger mouth is used, the upper edge portion of such bag is gripped between grippers 88a, 88c and their associated rods 89a and 890.

As pointed out above, an operator, standing adjacent the platform 21, installs a bag B on each bag suspending mechanism, as each bag-carrying member is stopped adjacent to him in a bag-receiving zone or station. The suspended bag B is then carried to the next quadrant of the machine which is the bulk material feeding station or zone and then to the next quadrant which is the final weighing station or zone and thence to the next quadrant which is bag discharge station or zone where each bag is automatically discharged.

in installing a bag, the operator inserts the edge of the bag upwardly between the grippers 88a and the rods 890. Once inserted, the spring loading of the grippers 88a will firmly retain the upper edge portion of the bag in place. Thereafter, depending upon whether or not the bag is a 50 pound bag or a 100 pound bag, the edge portion of the bag is inserted between the grippers 88b and the rods 89b or between the grippers 88c and rods 890. The larger bag, of course, is received between the grippers 88c and their respective rods 890 since such grippers are spaced further from the grippers 88a than the grippers 88b. The bag is then filled as it is held open.

It will be remembered that the mechanism for dropping the bag includes the cam 96 and the roller 95, seen best in FIG. 1. As the roller 95 passes beneath the cam 96, it is depressed downwardly against the tension of spring 85, thereby pivoting downwardly the levers 82 simultaneously. This pivots the rock shafts 81 so as to pivot downwardly the actuator plates 79, depressing simultaneously all pins 91 so as to pivot the grippers 88a, 88b and 88c away from their respective rods 89a, 89b and 890 and the bag is dropped.

The guide member 115 is adjustable so as to define an opening for the chute of each bag supporting member which is appropriate for the particular bag employed.

I claim:

1. In a filling and weighing mechanism of thetype wherein a carrier for supporting a flexible bag is moved along a prescribed path through a zone wherein the bag receives a prescribed amount of material, the combination with said carrier of a receptacle retaining member for receiving by its upper edge portion said bag, said member including a pair of spaced longitudinally outwardly extending brackets carried by said carrier, a plurality of downwardly projecting spaced pairs of cooperating gripper members mounted on each of said brackets, each pair of gripper members being moveable with respect to each other, from a gripping position engaging the inner and outer portions of the upper edge of said bag for supporting said bag in an open condition to a non-gripping position for releasing said bag, each of said pair of gripper members being in a common horizontal plane and being spaced from the other pairs both longitudinally and transversely,- actuator means for actuating said gripper members simultaneously to move said gripper members from their gripping positions to their non-gripping positions, and control means positioned along the path of travel of said carrier for actuating said actuator means.

2. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 wherein each pair of said gripper members includes a downwardly projecting arrester rod, a gripper disposed adjacent one side of said rods and spring means for yieldably urging said gripper thereagainst, and means actuated by said actuator means for moving said gripper away from said rod.

3. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 in which one gripper member of each pair is L-shaped and pivotally mounted at approximately its apex with one leg thereof urged against the other gripper member for yielding as a bag edge is urged upwardly between the gripper and its associated rod and for gripping the edge when the bag is released.

4. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 including a chute carried by and between said brackets.

5. The mechanism set forth in claim 4 wherein said chute is adjustable along said brackets.

6. The mechanism set forth in claim 2 wherein said actuator means includes a pair of shafts respectively adjacent said brackets, and actuators extending from said shafts for moving one of said gripper member of each pair to a non-gripping position.

7. The mechanism set forth in claim 6 wherein said actuator means includes a pair of levers linked together and respectively connected to said shafts and a cam follower carried by one of said levers for being moved by said control means. 

1. In a filling and weighing mechanism of the type wherein a carrier for supporting a flexible bag is moved along a prescribed path through a zone wherein the bag receives a prescribed amount of material, the combination with said carrier of a receptacle retaining member for receiving by its upper edge portion said bag, said member including a pair of spaced longitudinally outwardly extending brackets carried by said carrier, a plurality of downwardly projecting spaced pairs of cooperating gripper members mounted on each of said brackets, each pair of gripper members being moveable with respect to each other, from a gripping position engaging the inner and outer portions of the upper edge of said bag for supporting said bag in an open condition to a non-gripping position for releasing said bag, each of said pair of gripper members being in a common horizontal plane and being spaced from the other pairs both longitudinally and transversely, actuator means for actuating said gripper members simultaneously to move said gripper members from their gripping positions to their non-gripping positions, and control means positioned along the path of travel of said carrier for actuating said actuator means.
 2. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 wherein each pair of said gripper members includes a downwardly projecting arrester rod, a gripper disposed adjacent one side of said rods and spring means for yieldably urging said gripper thereagainst, and means actuated by said actuator means for moving said Gripper away from said rod.
 3. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 in which one gripper member of each pair is L-shaped and pivotally mounted at approximately its apex with one leg thereof urged against the other gripper member for yielding as a bag edge is urged upwardly between the gripper and its associated rod and for gripping the edge when the bag is released.
 4. The mechanism set forth in claim 1 including a chute carried by and between said brackets.
 5. The mechanism set forth in claim 4 wherein said chute is adjustable along said brackets.
 6. The mechanism set forth in claim 2 wherein said actuator means includes a pair of shafts respectively adjacent said brackets, and actuators extending from said shafts for moving one of said gripper member of each pair to a non-gripping position.
 7. The mechanism set forth in claim 6 wherein said actuator means includes a pair of levers linked together and respectively connected to said shafts and a cam follower carried by one of said levers for being moved by said control means. 